How to Improve Your Wide-Angle Digital SLR Shots

Step back.

When shooting a scene and you want to make sure and get it all in, step back and use a wide-angle lens. The Mississippi River is about 50 feet behind the photographer. You can see the St. Louis skyline peeking up underneath the arch. The family is posed in the center of the photo.

The only way to pull off a shot like this is with a wide-angle lens. There's no other alternative. The focal length is set to 12mm/18mm to frame the shot just right.

Some wide-angle scenes confuse automatic focus modes. If yours is complex and you have a specific point that you want in focus, consider choosing the specific AF point yourself or switching to manual focus.